A Short Introduction To The Philately Of Palestine

Part 2: The Typographed First Issue (1918)

Though preparations for a regular series of postage stamps had started as early as 1917, only the two lithographed values of 1p and 5m (see previous page: The Blues) had been issued at the end of the postage free period.
The official approval by the Foreign Office and the Director Of Army Postal Services in London was delayed until May 1918. The first delivery from Cairo (14.06.1918) reached Jerusalem by mid-July.
On 16.07.1918 the new values of 1m, 2m, 4m, 2p, and 5p were issued.

Following this initial issue of five new values, further stamps were issued in installments.
The lithographed Blues were replaced in September and November: the 5m on 25.09.1918 and the 1p on 9.11.1918.
Further new values were released on 17.12.1918 (3m, 9p, and 10p) and the highest values of 20p was issued on 27.12.1918.

The stamps of this series were continually reprinted until 1927. After the establishment of the civil administration under High Commissioner Sir Herbert Samuel (1.07.1920) trilingual overprints were furnished for use in Palestine (Arab, English, Hebrew) and a monolingual overprint (Arab) for use in new separated Transjordan.
Sale of un-overprinted stamps ended in Palestine by 31.08.1920, invalidation was decreed for 1.05.1922.
In Transjordan sale ended with the issue of the locally overprinted values in November 1920. Usage in Syria (23.09.1918--23.03.1922) and Lebanon (21.09.1918--September 1920) was terminated by new stamps provided by French authorities, though sale itself ended in 1919.
In Cilicia EEF-stamps were used between 21.10.1919 and 16.07.1920. Invalidation was decreed for all these territories for 1.05.1922.

Letter sent during the period when the first values of the Typo series had been issued, but not the new 1p stamp: SG nos. 3, 5, 6, and 11,
all tied by a parcel post handstamp ARMY / POST OFFICE (Sacher A3, Firebrace PCH4). Registration label for SZ44 office with manulal corrected registration number: ARMY POST OFFICE / SZ 44 / A / 28JY18.
Censor handstamp: PALESTINE / CENSORSHIP / No. 2 (Sacher QA14, Firebrace PCC2/4).Image: Ebay.

Another pair of SG no. 9 used over a year later. By that time postmarks had been adapated by excising "O.E.T.A.-E.E.F.":
HAIFA / + / 16 AU / 20 (Sacher B16, adapted A15). Note that Sacher lists index "+" only with A15, not B16 itself.

Private registered letter addressed to an officer in "1st Echelon EEF", franked with a vertical pair of SG no. 14.
Postmark: O.E.T.A-E.E.F / JERUSALEM / B / 23 JA / 19 (Sacher A6). No censorship marks. Registration label (Sacher RB) with violet handstamp V.
On reverse side arrival mark FIELD POST OFFICE / GM1 / 24 JA 19.
A registered letter would have cost only 1½p; without any reason this letter was overpaid by almost ten times that charge! The registration label has been "cancelled" on cover.

A new design (T3), based on the original one by Lt. Rowntree, was used for the typographed issue.
Besides ciphers in the corners, English (left) and Arab (right) numerals appear in the side-panels.
Curiously the Arab numerals on all but three values (1p, 9p, 20p) run the wrong way around: downwards rather than upwards.

Printing was executed by the Stamping Department, Board of Inland Revenue, Somerset House, London in typography on regular paper with watermark W100 (Royal Cipher in Column) and a large watermark POSTAGE running on the left and right margin.
Each printing sheet consists of two block of 120 stamps (12x10) each, separated by Intersecting Gutters in type A.

Guide dots are found in the centre of the top and bottom of a sheet; the entire plate is surrounded by Jubilee Lines. Unlike previous prints, no control numbers appear at the sheet corners.